Fishing and HISC and catwalloped..

How good was it to get out on the water in Sparrow...

So - been a while since the last sail - a whole load of duff tide weekends, and then the Jolly Boys cruise, then a spot of being ill, and here we are 6 weeks after I last took her out...

Prime time tide today (14:00'ish) so I was on the boat by 11, in what looked like not very much water (and still no sight of the damned windex 😕).

A quick sort out, checked the bilges (dry) and I then changed the fuel in the outboard remote tank to fresh as it dated from Easter/launch weekend, and in this heat that's more than long enough. with fresh fuel engine started up second or third pull, and we were ready go..  only downside was what looked to be not very much wind.. in which case, fishing rod was deployed and ready...

Motored down the channel - I did consider raising main in the pool by the bridge but there really wasn't a lot of water about - and then finally raised main and rolled out genoa as I passed Sweare Deep... just as I caught my one fish of the day..

Motor sailed past Marker as the wind was just, just, right to do it on one tack most of the time - it kept veering a few degrees more south every now and again - but the engine was finally switched off just past Marker and then I had a couple of excellent sails down to HISC (almost) and back, while enjoying the sun, and an increasing breeze..

Cracking day rounded off by a chat with some of the Jolly Boys (and partner) on their kayak's, and Silhouette Chris back on the moorings - and another seal sighting in the moorings as I was tying up ...  absolutely cat-wolloped when I got home though - that bout of illness took it out of me..

I'm doing a delivery trip with Rod the Mod on Tuesday - AmiLy is going into Northney for some work so he, t'other Dave, and I will bring her round from Whale Island - we have high hopes we'll be able to fly the chute (also known as the purple meany)..  I'm meeting them at 11, so I think some much needed bodge'ry on the tender and launch trailer is the order of the day before I meet them..  more anon..

Log:

Distance: 9.42   (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind: F3 going F4 (& gusting bottom end of a  F5 by the end of the sail); SW going SWxS
Sail Plan: Full main; couple of rolls in the genoa..
Speed: 2.3 / 5.0